In a recent closed-door meeting with Italian bishops, Pope Francis allegedly used a homophobic slur when discussing gay men training for the priesthood. The comments reportedly made on May 20th, caused a stir within the Catholic community and raised concerns about the Pope’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues.
According to Italian newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, sources from inside the meeting claimed that the Pope used the term “frociaggine,” which translates to “f*gg*try” in English, to describe certain seminaries. These reports sparked widespread criticism and disappointment among those who believe in promoting inclusivity and acceptance.
However, in response to the controversy, the Vatican released a statement on behalf of Pope Francis, expressing his regret and apologizing for any offense caused. The statement read, “The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, as reported by others,” the Vatican said in a statement. “As he (Pope Francis) has said on several occasions, ‘in the Church, there is room for everyone, everyone! No one is useless, no one is superfluous, there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone.’”
The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, also made that statement this Tuesday in response to questions from journalists about the use of a term:
“Pope Francis is aware of the recent articles regarding a closed-door conversation with the bishops of the CEI [Italian Bishops’ Conference]. As he has stated on many occasions, ‘There is room for everyone in the Church, for everyone! No one is useless; no one is superfluous; there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone.’ The Pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he apologizes to those who felt offended by the use of a term, as reported by others,” Vatican News quotes.
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Pope Francis has consistently emphasized the need for a welcoming and inclusive Church.
Just last year, he also reaffirmed that homosexuality is not a crime and that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin, in a written response to a request for clarification about his past remarks during a recent interview with the Associated Press.
“We are all children of God, and God loves us as we are and for the strength that each of us fights for our dignity. Being homosexual is not a crime. It is not a crime.”
He went on to clarify, “When I said it is a sin, I was simply referring to Catholic moral teaching, which says that every sexual act outside of marriage is a sin. Of course, one must also consider the circumstances, which may decrease or eliminate fault,” he previously wrote. “As you can see, I was repeating something in general. I should have said, ‘It is a sin, as is any sexual act outside of marriage,'” he wrote. “This is to speak of ‘the matter’ of sin, but we know well that Catholic morality not only takes into consideration the matter but also evaluates freedom and intention; and this, for every kind of sin. And I would tell whoever wants to criminalize homosexuality that they are wrong,” the pope said.